Did you miss Chapter One ?
From Nursing a Grudge
Chapter Two Continued…
He frowned. “Well, then you go by another name. Maybe you’re
Carol McCarthy? You’re a crit, though.” He pointed at my card. “You’re
not fooling anyone with this pseudonym! Kate Connolly? Please.”
The waitress came out from the back and angled her phone at me.
“I’ve got her picture now, Donald, don’t worry. We’ll be able to post
this online and warn everyone about her.”
Laurie wailed louder and I pressed the phone to my ear, trying to
ignore everything, only now Paula was wailing, too. “Paula, can you
get to the hospital on your own?”
She took three short breaths, then said, “Yes, but I need you to pick
up Danny.”
Danny was Paula’s two-year-old son, and our plan had always
been for him to stay with me when she went to the hospital.
“UC won’t let him into the maternity ward without another adult
present,” Paula continued. “David’s flight’s been delayed and I can’t
reach—”
“UC? I thought you were going to California Pacific?”
Paula wailed again.
“Another contraction?” I asked.
She ignored my question. “Meet me at UC, not Cal Pacific. Our
insurance changed. Don’t you ever listen—”
She continued to scold me but I covered the mouthpiece on the
phone and addressed the dour man standing in front of me.
“Look,” I hissed. “I am not a food critic. My name is Kate Connolly.
My friend is in labor and I have to meet her. Please run the charges on
my card.”
Of course, I didn’t add that Jill was indeed a critic or the fact that if
I’d been a critic I would have given the place the ultimate thumbs
down.
The moms in the corner huffed past us with their silent, sleeping,
perfect-angel babies. Laurie cried even louder and entwined her
fingers in my hair. I yelped.
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Mr. Sour grabbed the card from me and whipped around to hand
it off to the waitress turned paparazzi.
“I don’t believe you. I’m going to splatter your picture all over the
web,” she said as she turned on her heel.
My phone beeped as Jill’s call went into voicemail.
Darn it!
I rooted around the diaper bag and found a pacifier. Laurie kicked
out her legs and arched her back when she saw it. I put it in her
mouth and returned my attention to Paula. “I’ll meet you at UC.”
Although I had a baby in tow, UC seemed to be the place I needed
to be anyway: while I took charge of Danny, I could follow up with
Jill.
Paula let out a deep moan.
“Don’t drive. Take a cab!” I said.
She mumbled something.
“What?” I asked.
“Can you call me a cab?” she whimpered.
The waitress emerged from the back and slapped my credit card
along with the printout onto the table.
“Yes,” I said to Paula and hung up.
I glared at the waitress and signed my name on the receipt. She
snatched it from my hand, returning my glare.
I strapped the buckles on Laurie’s car seat.
There was no way she could squirm her way out now.
I dialed Yellow Cab and ordered one for Paula ASAP, then
headed out.
Even though I was desperate to listen to Jill’s voicemail, I couldn’t
stand the cafe one moment longer.
Once at my car, I secured Laurie’s portable car seat into the base,
then hopped into the driver’s seat and dialed my voicemail.
Jill’s voice filled the line. “Kate. That guy isn’t following me, so
there’s no need for you—”
There was a rustling sound, then a high pitched yelp from Jill.
The line went dead.
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